Gravity-gate hinge.



]. A. CLEMENTS.

GRAVITY GATE HINGE. I APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. 1913.

1,232,225. Patented July 3,1917.

ATTO R N EY 3G 1 without departing from the splrlt or sacri- It 4 u JAMES A. CLEMENTS, OF ABINGDON, ILLINOIS.

GRAVITY-GATE HINGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1917.

Application filed July 26, 1813. Serial No. 781,399.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. OLnMnN'rs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Abingdon, in the countyof Knox and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Gravity-Gate Hinge, of which the following is a specification. j

The invention relates to improvements in gate hinges. 1 i

The object of the present invention 18 130 improve the construction of gate hinges, and to provide a two-part two-way double acting interlocking farm gate hinge, which will be strong and durable in constructlon, effective in operation, inexpensive and of great utility to the farmer. A further. object of theinvention is to provide a gate hinge of this character, which will effect a great saving in time and labor 111 opening and closing a gate, giving the farmer a safety gate beyond a question.

l/Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the constructionand novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to ficing any of the advantages of the invention. r s

In the drawing l'figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a gate equipped. with hinges, constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, the lower hinge being shown in plan view.

Fig. 3 is a similar view, the lower hinge being illustrated in reverse plan view.

Fig. -i-l-. is a vertical sectional view of the lower hinge, taken longitudinally of the gate.

Fig. 5 a plan view of the movable member of thenpper hinge.

Fig. 6 is aside elevation of the same.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the fixed member of the upper hinge.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the same.

Like numerals of reference designate. corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing, r g j In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the lower gate hinge comprises in its construction a relatively fixed member 1 and a movable member 2, preferably consisting of castings and mounted, respectively, on a hinge post 3 and on a gate a. The relatively fixed member is composed of a horizontal plate 5 provided at the front with spaced bearing recesses 6 and having an integral vertical attaching flange 7 at its rear portion fitted against the post 8 and provided at opposite sides with vertical slots 8, extending upwardly from the lower edge of the vertical flange 7 and adapted to receive bolts 9, lag screws, or other suitable fastening devices for securing the relatively fixed member 1 of the lower hinge to the post 3. The vertical slots and the bolts 9 permit a vertical adjustment of the relatively fixed member 1, and they also enable the same to be readily placed on and removed from the bolts after the latter have been applied to the post without removing the said bolts. The relatively fixed member 1 is reinforced at the lower face of the horizontal plate by forwardly diverging bracing flanges 10, extending from the bearing recesses to the vertical flange 7 and connected'with the latter at opposite sides of the center thereof, and as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The said horizontal plate 5 is also preferably provided with openings 11 and 12 to lighten the construction. A curved connecting bar or portion 13, which is located at the outer or front side of the opening 12, performs three functions in the hinge structure. First, it forms a tie or brace bar for the inner sides of the bearing portions of the horizontal plate; second, it forms a stock guard or shield for preventing hogs or other small animals from crowding against and getting hurt on the projecting points or portions of the horizontal plate at the outer sides of the bearings 6, and, third, it forms a guide to assist the operator in replacing the gate in the bearing recesses 6 of the lower hinge. The outer edge of the curved bar 13 merges into theinner sides of the bearing recesses 6, and it is adapted to form a guide for pintles 14 of themovable member of the lower hinge to enable them to be readily guided into the bearin recesses. The bar 13 thereby materially assists the operator in setting the gate back in the relatively fixed member of the lower hinge, which operation may be performed without looking at the pintles and the bearing recesses.

The movable member of the lower hinge consists of a horizontal top plate 15 having approximately circular end portions, which are located above the bearing recesses 6 when the gate is closed. The pintles 14 depend centrally from the end portions of the plate 15 and are adapted to fit in the bearing recesses 6, which are covered by thehorizon tal plate when the gate is closed, so that the said plate 15 forms a shield for protecting the bearings from rain, sleetand snow and practically houses the working parts of the lower hinge The top horizontal plate 15 is also provided with depending curved terminal flanges 16, which through the swinging movement of the gate are carried into engagement with curved flanges 17, formed integral with the horizontal plate 5 of the relatively fixed member of the lower hinge and extending upwardly from the same at the inner sides of the bearing recesses 6. The flanges 16, which are arranged concentric with the pintles, are connected at their inner ends with integral bracing portions 18 and are concentric with the centers of the bearing recesses 6. In the opening movement of the gate, one of the pintles of the movable member 2 swings out of its bearing recess (3, and the other pintle rotates in its bearing recess 6 at the opposite side of the fixed member. This rotary movement carries the flange 16 of the movable member to the flange 17 of the fixed member 1 and.

causes the said flange 16 to hug around the flange 17 to prevent the movable member from being separated from the fixed member in the opening movement of the gate. The swinging movementof the gate causes the two flanges 1G and 17 to interlock at a predetermined point in the opening movement of the gate, and the said flanges 16 and 17 remain in such engaged or interlocked relation until the gate in its closing movement returns to said predetermined point.

The movable body 2 of the hinge is provided with an outer attaching arm 19, composed of spaced sides and a connecting outer transverse portion having projecting terminals 20 spaced from an inner transverse bracing flange 21 and cooperating with the same to form side recesses 22 for the recept on of inner verticalbars 4 of the gate a.

The arm 19 is secured to the gate by a bolt.

23 piercing the said bars/t and the sides of the arm 19. The movable member 2 of the lower hinge is also reinforced at.the lower face of the horizontal plate 15 by short webs or flanges 2a, which connect the transverse flange 21 with the pintles 14. The pintles rotate freely in the bearing recesses, and

either pintle is adapted to swing into and out of its bearing recess so that the gate may be opened in either direction at the will of the operator.

The upper hinge of the gate .is composed of a fixed member 25 and a movable member 26. The fixed member 25, which is in the form of a lag screw, consists of a threaded shank 26 and an approximately triangular head 27. The threaded shank, which is adapted to screw into a post, has a tapered terminal portion and is provided with fiat side faces 28, but the attaching portion of the fixed member 25 may be constructed in any other desired manner. The screw 25 is made in the form of a lag screw forthe purpose of holding the head 27 from turning out of a horizontal plane when adjusted. As above stated, this result is accomplished by providing the screw, which is of the usual form tapered at its end, with flat side faces which interrupt the threaded surface of the screw for a relatively short distance, as may be clearly seen from Figs. 7 and 8, so that when the screw is turned into the post to the desired extent, small notches or openings will be provided at the opposite sides of-the screw into which the wood of the post may expand or swell to engage the abruptends of the threads and thus hold the screw 25 from turning in either direction, and to time hold the head 27 in its horizontal plane. The approximately triangular head 27 is provided with an approximately triangular opening 29 to form a large eye for the pintle 30 of the movable member 26, and the said head 27 is provided with front and side bearing portions 31 and 32 for the pintle 80 to rest in, and the side portions 33 of the head of the fixed member are substantially straight and angularly related and present straight inner edges along which the pintle 3O isadapted to run or' slide in moving from one bearing portion to another. The fixed member 25 of the upper hinge is preferably reinforced at the upper and lower faces with strengthening ribs 3l, located at the juncture of the shank 26 and the head 27.

The movable member 26 consists of a horizontal plate from the rear portion of which depends the pintle 30, which has a rounded front portion to work in the bearings 31 and 82 of the head of the fixed member 25. The horizontal plate 35 of the movable member of the upper hinge is prefer ably tapered at its outer or rear portion, as shown, and when the outer end of the gate is raised and the movable member of the lower hinge lifted out of engagement with the relatively fixed member of the said lower hinge", the tapered portion of the plate 35 will be carried rearwardly and caused to extend into the said eye or opening 29. The pintle 30, which is thickened or extended rearwardly, has side faces 86' substantially flat beyond the front rounded portion, which enables the pintle to slide freely within the eye or opening of the triangular head 27, so that the/pintle will sides of the attaching arm.

promptly move from one bearing portion of the eye to another in the action of the gate. This construction is adapted to save trouble and will, to a great extent, prevent any sticking of the parts on account of the use of arough casting. The pintle is provided with a vertical boreor opening 37 through which passes a bolt 38 having a nut 89 at its upper end and a head at its lower: end. The bolt secures a horizontal Washer to the lower end of the pintle for retaining the latter in the eyeor opening 29 of the fixed member. The washer is also adapted to prevent the gate when closed from being lifted out of hinge by stock. The pintle 30 of the upper hinge is of a length slightly greater than the thickness of the metal of the head 27 so as to admit of the free movement of the said pintle in response to the action of the lower hinge in the opening and closing movements of the gate, and cramping of the parts is thereby prevented. The movable member 26 of the upper hinge is provided with an outer or front attaching arm 11, constructed similar to the attaching arm 19 and composed of spaced sides and an outer transverse portion having projecting terminals 42, spaced from an inner integral vertical web or flange e3, which extends upwardly from the adjacent end of the horizontal plate 35. The recesses a l at opposite sides of the attaching arm are adapted to receive the inner vertical bars 4: of the gate to which the movable member of the upper hinge is secured by abolt 15,

piercing the said bars 41 and the spaced The movable member 26 is reinforced at the center of the flange 4:3 by a web or connecting portion 46, extending along the inner portion of the plate p i From a comparative inspection of Figs. 2 and 7, it will be seen that the triangular fixed member of the upper hinge is of a less width than the fixed member, of'the lower hinge. When the gate is closed the attaching arms 19 and 41 are substantially in vertical alinement. The three bearings 31 and however, are out of vertical alinement with and between the bearing recesses of the fixed member of the lower hinge. It follows, therefore,.that as the gate opens, the axis thereof becomes inclined, and the inclination in each case is such as to either open the gate farther or shut the same under the influence of gravity, depending upon whether the pintle of the upper hinge is in the bearing 31 or one of the bearings 32.

When the gate is closed it is absolutely locked against movement by stock and other animals, As previously pointed out, the flange 16 in the opening movement of the gate: is carried 1 into interlocking relation with the flange 17 of the fixed member 1. This, however, does not occur until the gate has been opened a short distance, say about two feet, so that when it is desired to separate the members of the lower hinge, the gate is opened a suflicien't distance to carry it away from the latch post, but not far enough to engage the flanges 16 and 17. When the gate is in this position, its outer end may be raised some four or five feet high and set upon a snow drift, if necessary, or raised and chained to the latch post to permit small animals to pass under it, or the outer or free end of the gate may be set down upon the ground at any desired point, thus relieving the hinge post of strain. To replace the gate, lift the front or free end and place one of the pintles of the movable member 2 of the lower hinge in its proper bearing recess of the fixed mem ber 11. In this operation, the curved front bar 13 of the fixed member 1 serves as a guide for such pintle, as heretofore explained. The elongated pintle of the movable member of the upper hinge and the large eye or opening of the fixed member enable the members of the lower hinge of the gate to be disconnected in this manner without separating the parts of the upper hinge. It will be observed that notwithstanding the extended journals of the lower hinge and the interlocking portions of the members thereof that the movable member adapted to rock or swing freely in and out of the bearings of the fixed member as the gate is opened and closed, and the particular arrangement of the slots 8 of the fixed member enables the latter to be readily applied to the fastening devices of the hinge post and removed therefrom by a blow from a hammer.

The twoway double acting lower hinge cooperates with the upper hinge in the opening and closing movements of the gate, therefore the operator does not have to leave the team and walk around with the gate to prop it open, nor does he have to leavethe team and walk back to shut the gate, as it is held in its open and closed position by gravity. The upper hinge enables the gate to respond quickly to the action of the lower hinge as the pintle of the movable member 26 is adapted to play in the large eye or opening 29 of the fixed member 25. When the gate is shut, the pintle 30 will rest in the central or front bearing 31 and the gate is adapted to be opened about three-fourths the distance of its opening movement to permit a. person on foot or on horseback to pass; through it, and it will automatically close from such position for the reason that the pintle 30 has not left the central or front bearing 31. lVhen, however, it is desired to pass through the gate with a team or stock, the operator throws the gate, say fourfifths open, when the pintle 30 will leave its front central bearing 31 and slide or run along i in its operation.

one of the angularly related side portions 83 to one of the rearbearings 32 when the gate will complete its opening movement by gravity and remain in such position. When it is desired to close the gate, it is swung toward its closed position until the pintle 30 leaves the rear bearing 32 and slides or runs along the side 33 to the .front bearing 31, when it will complete its closing movement by gravity and remain in such position. It will be observed that the gate will not stand at an intermediate point, but will through the action'of gravity swing either open or closed according to the bearing in which thepintle 30 rests. The gate when open stands from five to ten inches higher at its latch end than it does at its hinge end, and no matterhow close to the ground the outer or latch end of the gate may be when the gate is closed, it will be sure to make a good clearance of the ground in its opening and closing movements. The gate through the coaction of the upper and lower hinges effects a great saving in both time and labor Furthermore, in hanging the gate it does not have to be set in the upper and lower hinges at the same time, and about half the labor ordinarily required to hang a gate is thereby saved. The hinges While. adapted for a double acting gate are also susceptible of advantageous use where a gate opening only in one direction is required. Also I desire it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the particular form of lower hinge, as the pintles and the bearing recesses may be transposed, that is to say, either the fixed or the movable member of such hinge may carry the pintles and be arranged to interlock with the other member-by the movement of the gate.

lVhat is claimed is:-

1. A hinge of the class described including a movable member having spaced devendin intles a fixed member com risin b 7 b a horizontal plate provided with rear attaching means and having spaced bearing recesses at the front to receive the said pintles, said plate being also provided between the bearing recesses with an intermediate projecting portion having a curved outer edge adapted to guide the pintles of the movable member into the bearing recesses and coacting means on said members to interlock the same during the opening movement of the gate, said means being interrupted to admit of a separation of said members when the gate is at an intermediate point between its open and closed positions, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A hinge of the class described including a fixed member comprising a horizontal plate provided at the front with opposite recesses, a vertical attaching flange arranged at the rear edge of the horizontal plate and dependingfrom the same and provided with spaced vertical slots, and integral bracing ribs located at the inner sides of the slots and extending from the vertical flange along the-lower face of the horizontal plate, and a movable member composed of a plate, pintles depending from the plate and adapted to fit in the said bearing recesses, and an attaching arm consisting of spaced sides and in ner and'outer transverse flanges projecting beyond the sides and forming recesses.

3. A hinge of the class described including a fixed member provided with an approximately triangular head having a substantially triangular opening forming spaced front and rear side bearings, and a movable member having .means for securing it to a gate and provided with a pintle operating in the opening of the fixed member.

4. A hinge of the class described including afixed member having an approximately triangular opening forming spaced front and side bearings, and a movable member consisting of a plate, means for securing the same to a gate, and a pintle depending from the plate and extending through the opening of the fixed member and having a rounded front portion to coact with the said bearings and provided with substantially flat side faces, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A hinge of the class described including a fixed member having a substantially triangular opening forming spaced front and side bearings, and a movable member provided with a depending pintle extending downwardly through the opening of the fixed member and having means at its lower end for preventing itfrom becoming disengaged from the said opening, said pintle being elongated.

6. A hinge of the class described includ- 1 ing a member comprising a substantially horizontal plate having a pintle at one end, a flange extending upwardly from and entirely across the opposite end of said plate, a web arranged in the angle between the flange and the plate intermediate the lateral edges of the same, and an integral attaching arm composed of spaced sides extending from the said fiange and the outerconnecting portion or flange, both of said flanges 1 having their terminals projecting laterally beyond said sides whereby to provide therewith side recesses.

7. A hinge of the class described including a fixed member provided with, an opening and having, spaced front and side bearings therein, 'a movable member provided with a depending pintle operating in the said opening and having a vertical bore, a

- fastening device extending through the bore,

and a plate or washer secured to the lower end of the pintle by the said fastening device and retaining the pintle in the opening of the fixed member.

8. The combination with a gate, of an upper hinge comprising a fixed member having an approximately triangular opening :iorming spaced front and side bearings, and a movable member secured to the gate and having a pintle extending through the said opening and provided with means for retaining it therein, said pintle being elon gated, and a lower hinge composed of a fixed member having spaced bearing recesses, and a moval'ile member secured to the gate and provided with spaced pintles cooperating with the said recesses and movable into and out of the same to permit a swinging move ment of the gate in either direction and also to enable the gate to be set upon the ground without disconnecting it from the upper l'iinge.

9. A hinge of the class described including a movable member having spaced pintles, a fixed member provided with spaced bearing recesses receiving the pintles, and coacting means on the said members to interlock the same, the said members being prevented from separating when the gate is closed, and also during the opening movement of the gate, said means being interrupted to admit of aseparation of the said members when the gate is at an intermediate point between its open and closed positions.

10. The combination with a gate, of a lower hinge comprising relatively movable members having spaced apart hearing recesses, and correspondingly spaced apart pintles, and coacting means on the members located adjacent the recesses and pintles to interlock the members during the opening movement of the gate, said means being constructed to admit of the separation of said members when the gate is at an intermediate point between its open and closed positions, I i

and an upper hinge comprising relatively fixed and movable members loosely engaging each other and adapted to support the gate when the members of the lower hinge are separated and to allow the raising and lowering of the outer end of the gate.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

F. MARKS,

REUBEN DAVIS.

Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

